FeCo nanoparticles coated with (Fe,Co)3O4 (magnetite doped with cobalt) were synthesized by the proteic sol-gel chemical route. The synthesized materials were characterized by Thermogravimetry (TG), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) and Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS). The results show that the increase in temperature and the choice of the correct air/N2 flow directly influence on the final physical-chemical properties of the nanocomposite. The SEM and TEM images confirmed that a thin layer of oxide was formed on the alloy, indicating that it was obtained a self-assembled FeCo-(Fe,Co)3O4 nanocomposites. In addition, the VSM results show that a possible exchange-spring coupling in magnetic FeCo-(Fe,Co)3O4 nanoparticles occurred with high saturation magnetization from FeCo alloy and high coercivity from (Fe,Co)3O4. The rotary oven allows the uniform contact of the powder with the atmosphere of synthesis during the different oxidation-reduction steps, generating more homogeneous particles.

Neste trabalho é apresentada uma avaliação sobre a assinatura geoquímica dos principais elementos maiores em rochas lateríticas que ocorrem nos municípios de Granja, Martinópole e Parazinho, no Noroeste do Estado do Ceará. Geologicamente, a área está localizada no Domínio Médio Coreaú, caracterizada pelo Complexo Granja, representando o embasamento da região, composto por gnaisses, granulitos e migmatitos e por sequências supracrustais compostas pelos quartzitos e filitos do Grupo Martinópole e Ubajara, além de sedimentos cenozoicos da Formação Barreiras. Lateritas são normalmente encontradas em climas úmidos (sazonais ou não), porém a condição climática atual da região é considerada semiárida. Sendo assim, o mais provável é que o processo que levou à geração desses mantos seja decorrente de condições climáticas mais antigas e diferenciadas da atual. As lateritas encontram-se associadas aos gnaisses, quartzitos e filitos. O processo de laterização predominante é o enriquecimento em metais, principalmente o ferro. Os teores de ferro variam de 34,69 a 77,85% nas zonas laterizadas; essa tendência ferruginosa é mais evidente nos gnaisses, em que os valores de enriquecimento chegam a resultados acima de 75%. Os teores de Al crescem aproximadamente de 6 a 7% na rocha em processo de alteração. Dados isotópicos Sm-Nd mostram que os valores das razões obtidas nas lateritas são similares aos protólitos, podendo ser utlizados na definição de lateritas autóctones ou alóctones, além de confirmar relativa imobilidade do Sm e do Nd no processo de laterização.

In this paper an evaluation is made over the geochemistry signature of major elements in lateritic rocks on the counties of Granja, Martinópole and Parazinho, Northwest of Ceará State. Geologically, the area is located in Médio Coreaú Domain, characterized by the Granja Complex, which is the geological basement of the region, composed by gneiss, granulites and migmatites, and supracrustal sequences formed by quartizites and phyllites of Martinópole and Ubajara Group, and also cenozoic sediments of Barreiras Formation. Laterites are normally found in humid weather (seasonal or not), so it is more likely that the generation process of this lateritic beds were under ancient climatic conditions, totally different from the present. The laterites are associated with gneiss, quartzites and phyllites. The prevailing laterization process is the metal enrichment, especially iron. Iron content varies from 34.69 to 77.85% in the altered rock samples; this trend being more evident in gneiss, in which iron enrichment exceeds 75%. Al content increases 6 to 7% in altered rocks. Sm-Nd data showed that the ratios obtained in these laterites are similar to the protoliths and can be used to define autochthonous from allocththounus laterites and also confirm Sm and Nd mobility in the laterization process.

This work evaluated the catalytic activity of TiO2 synthesized by the Pechini method. with varying molar ratios of 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 of citric acid/metallic cations, in the photocatalytic degradation of methyl red dye in aqueous solution. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, phase quantification by Rietveld structure refinement, and textural analysis by nitrogen adsorption, and their photocatalytic performance was bench- tested. The results indicated that the 3:1 and 4:1 samples contained two phases, with 84.4 and 89% of anatase phase and 15.6 and 11% of rutile phase, respectively. The 2:1 sample contained only anatase phase. The total discoloration of methyl red dye in 24 hours confirmed the high photocatalytic efficiency of the 2:1 sample, which was ascribed to the formation of monophasic anatase.

The study of fossils has made considerable progress over the last years as a result of the use of new experimental techniques. This paper describes the chemical composition of a fossilized fish of the Cretaceous period, from a 100 million-year-old, material originated from the Araripe Basin (northeastern Brazil). The chemical composition of the fossilized fish was analyzed by means of X-ray powder diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The spectroscopic study has proven that the main substances found in the fossilized fish are CaCO3 and Ca5(PO4)3(OH). A tentative mechanism to explain the fossilization process is also given.

Coprolites are fossilized faeces that constitute an important source of palaeobiological informations. This paper describes the characterization of some coprolite materials originated from the Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation (Araripe Basin, south of Ceará State in Brazil) by means of two techniques: X-ray powder diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). This characterization allowed us to determine the main composition of the coprolites, of the nodulus (where the coprolites were extracted) and of the sediment (where the nodulus was found) suggesting that the material was produced by a carnivorous fish of the Lower Cretaceous.

The aqueous material found in the fruits of Bixa Orellana L. was collected, dried, and characterized using several experimental techniques, namely phytochemical analysis in order to identify the biologically active constituents, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for vibrational analysis, and X-ray powder diffraction in order to identify the presence of crystalline phases in the sample. The results showed that the aqueous material possesses high concentrations of hydrolyzable tannin. This result justifies the anti-inflammatory activity of this substance reported in other studies.

Nanocrystalline powder of tripotassium sodium sulfate (K3Na(SO4)2 - KNS) was successfully obtained by mechanical alloying a mixture of potassium sulfate (K2SO4) and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) with a proportion of 3:1 in a planetary mill. X ray powder diffraction (XRPD) was used to characterize this material. Powders produced with high milling times: 15, 30, 45 and 60 hours, have shown a single phase. For 60 hours of milling time, the powder was formed with very small grains (60 nm in average). We also prepared several samples with low milling times: 30, 60, 120, 150 and 180 minutes. The results for this series show that 120 minutes of milling is enough to produce a single crystalline phase of KNS. Therefore, we showed that a nanocrystalline powder of tripotassium sodium sulfate is easily obtained by mechanical alloying and that the grain size can be controlled by the amount of milling time.

Fe10Ag90 granular alloys have been prepared using a sol-gel process, sintered at 300 °C and annealed at temperatures between 400 °C and 700 °C. The mean size of the iron particles, obtained from X-ray diffraction, is 30.0 ± 0.7 nm. Due to the existence of a distribution of particle sizes in these samples, both blocked (BL) and superparamagnetic (SPM) particles are present simultaneously, as confirmed by magnetization measurements at room temperature. AC susceptibility measurements as a function of temperature reveal a magnetic phase transition at about 770 °C, indicating the presence of particles exhibiting bulk behavior, in the samples annealed above 550 °C. The presence of these particles has been attributed to an atomic diffusion process between the grains, forming bulk-like multiple-domain Fe particles having Curie temperatures near that of bulk alpha-Fe phase (T C = 770 °C).

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate presents a ferroelectric phase below 122 K and a paraelectric phase for T > 122 K. X-ray scattering measurements were performed in order to verify the mechanism of the phase transition from point group C2v19 to C2v¹19 at 119 K induced by DC electric field; in other words, a change of the local site symmetries of the phosphate group occurs from C2 site in the C2v19 point group to Cs in the C2v¹19 point group. This phenomenon was shown by analyzing the behavior of the integrated intensity of the (800), (080), (1600), (0160), (400) and (040) reflections. The curve fitting of these reflections showed the occurrence of a rotation of the phosphate group around the [010] crystallographic direction during the phase transition. This study confirms the observation of this metastable phase obtained by Raman spectroscopy.